Oak Park revokes massage parlors' biz license after sting

Three massage parlors targeted in prostitution sting closed for good

Friday, August 25th, 2017 11:46 AM

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King Spa, 6441 W. North Ave., and Angel Spa, 6340 Roosevelt Rd., had their businesses licenses revoked by the Village of Oak Park after employees at the two locations were arrested in a prostitution sting. | Photo by Alexa Rogals

The Village of Oak Park has revoked the business licenses of two massage parlors that were temporarily closed earlier this month after police targeted them for suspected prostitution.

The sting that netted three massage parlors operating in Oak Park on Aug. 8 resulted in the arrest of four women – two for prostitution and two for performing massages without a state of Illinois massage license.

The two prostitution arrests were at King Spa, 6441 W. North Ave., and Angel Spa, 1102 Chicago Ave., and the two license-related arrests were at Angel Spa, 6340 Roosevelt Rd.

Jing and Samuel Chen, owners of the Chicago Avenue Angel Spa, had applied for a business license with the village prior to the arrests, but the license had not yet been approved. After the prostitution arrest, the Chens, who conducted business under the name Heaven Massage Spa, withdrew their business license application.

Village Manager Cara Pavlicek held administrative hearings for the three businesses following the arrests and revoked the business licenses for the other two massage parlors, rendering them permanently closed.

The owner of King Spa, Tina King, who conducted business under the name Cici Massage Services, was identified in the administrative order from the village as the woman who was arrested for prostitution.

The administrative order notes that King admitted to both offering sex to the undercover officer and understanding that the exchange of money was for a "happy ending."

The two women arrested at Angel Spa on Roosevelt Road where charged only with massaging without a license, but the administrative order released by the village notes that the women both touched the genitalia of undercover law enforcement officials while conducting the massages.

That administrative order also states that detectives found advertisements for the Roosevelt Road Angel Spa on both rubmaps.com and craigslist.com offering erotic massages.

Tony Zeng was identified as the owner of Angel Spa on Roosevelt Road, conducting business under the name Foot Massage Corporation.

Pavlicek declined to comment on the decision to revoke the two licenses, but the village issued a press release on Aug. 24, noting that the administrative hearings determined that all three businesses were a public nuisance for the village.

"Oak Park Police and the Cook County Sheriff's Departments conducted a joint investigation after receiving citizen complaints about possible illegal activity at the businesses," the village press release states. "Suspicious activity observed at the locations led undercover officers to pose as potential clients, which allowed them to gather the evidence that led to four arrests and the ultimate decisions to close the businesses."